Beginning the Spirit-filled Life (Ephesians 1:1–6)
Pecos County in west Texas has a famous oil field known as the Yates Pool. During the Depression this oil field was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Yates. Mr. Yates was not able to make enough money ranching to pay his mortgage and was in danger of losing his ranch. Then, in 1926, an oil company asked Mr. Yates’ permission to drill a wildcat well on his ranch, and he signed a lease.
The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day and some subsequent wells at more than twice that. Mr. Yates owned it all and yet was living in poverty. He owned it, but he did not possess it. He was like many Christians today who have untold spiritual riches, but they don’t possess them.
More than any other book in the Bible, Ephesians tells us how to possess the spiritual riches that are a result of living the Spirit-filled life. Beginning to live the Spirit-filled life requires three things …
